Blizzard A Story of Snow
by papillongirl
Summary: Mary and Marshall go on a road trip, things don't go quite as planned. Snow is involved. Story complete, hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I know most readers probably think this is the boring part but sometimes it's my favorite part so indulge me for a moment. This would be rated for language. Sometimes Mary has a potty mouth. I try to control her but well... she's Mary. Also, there's no Raph in this. I'm thinking that no one is going to come hunt me down if I just deny his existence and don't explain right? I think it works out if we just pretend that he never was. One last little thing. I fought with every word in this story and I'm still not sure that we've made up. All I wanted to do was bang them up and then have them love each other - cause that's how I do. So that's what I did. I make no promises that this is readable -- that's my disclaimer.

Blizzard

"Mer, Mary," Marshall softly nudged his sleeping partner. "Hey," he said when she stirred. "I need you to read the map." He squinted out the windshield into the blowing snow.

Mary was instantly alert and pulled a map from the glove compartment. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you I am not the navigator. You should have let me drive."

"What are you complaining about? You've been asleep practically the whole way," Marshall sniped.

"I can't help it, I couldn't listen to another factoid about Colorado today Marshall. Now, where are we supposed to be?" She folded and refolded the map trying to find the general area between New Mexico and North Dakota.

"We're about an hour north of Denver on I-25, but we've only driven about 40 miles in that time. I haven't seen any sign of civilization since we passed Denver and I think it's snowing harder. I don't know why we had to drive to Fargo when we could have flown out and driven Bernie back if he really insisted that he couldn't fly."

"Did you have big plans for this weekend Marshall?" Mary asked glibly, eyes still scouring the map in the dim light of the dash. "Stan told you why we couldn't fly. The field office in North Dakota didn't have an approved vehicle to send back with us. And if we borrowed something how would we get it back to them anyway?"

"I had plans with a pizza and my couch, but at this rate we won't get back until next week." Marshall conveniently ignored the second part of the question.

"You whine." Mary tried to cajole a smile out of her partner but he was intent on the snowy road in front of him.

"I hope you packed your toothbrush." Marshall glanced over and gave Mary a half smile in apology for his surliness.

Mary smirked. "I not only packed my toothbrush, I packed a change of clothes. The weather channel was calling for a major snowstorm this weekend and I wasn't sure we would be able to get in and out as fast as you were predicting.

"Marshall," Mary sounded alarmed as she finally located Denver on the map. "Did you say we were north of Denver?"

"Yeah, Why?" He tried to glance at the map without running off the road but turned his attention back to the interstate when Mary glared at him menacingly.

"I-25 runs North of Denver but to get to Fargo we should have taken I-76 at Denver and turned East." Marshall slammed on the brakes and the Expedition skidded to a stop in the snow. There was no traffic so he put it in park without moving off the road.

"No way, let me see that. You did say you weren't the navigator and there's no way I could have, Damn!" He exclaimed as he verified exactly what Mary had just told him. "I have no idea how this happened." His voice was strained, either from waiting for Mary to berate him or berating himself she didn't know but it caused her to cool her heels and think before she spoke.

"You were concentrating on the road in this weather," she said kindly. He looked over at her with gratitude for the reprieve and then turned back tot he map to study his options.

"It looks like we can stay on I-25 until we get to Cheyenne and we'll hit I-80. It will be out of the way but no more than driving back to Denver," he said apologetically.

"The weather might be better that direction," Mary said hopefully as she peered through the window at the steadily falling snow.

"Okay," Marshall still sounded glum as he put the SUV in gear and eased forward.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive for a while?"

"Have you ever driven in snow Mer?"

"Once, I think."

"I've seen you drive on dry pavement. I think I'll pass."

Uneventful miles passed but they passed slowly. Mary turned the radio on and they sat in companionable silence as Marshall navigated the deepening snow.

Finally Mary yawned. "So Marshall, are we almost there yet?"

Marshall chuckled and squinted into the snow. "I have no idea. Why don't you call information and see if you can find a hotel that isn't closed for the winter."

Mary nodded and flipped open her phone. "No service," she muttered darkly.

"Really? There's no iron in these hills."

"I guess since we're the only people within a hundred miles of this spot they decided we don't need cell phones." Mary was getting tired and hungry and her sarcasm was drier than she intended.

"I was going to say that the storm is probably blocking the signal."

"Or that." Mary groaned. "I am starving."

Marshall grinned. "I'm sure if you look in my bag you can find something to tide you over. I always try to throw something non-perishable in my go bag for just such an event as this."

"You're such a good little girl scout."

"Say what you will but I'm the one feeding you."

"Point taken." Mary unsnapped her seatbelt and leaned into the backseat. Marshall grinned at the view of Mary's hip next to his ear. He had just turned back to the road when a deer darted into the road and stopped, stunned in front of the vehicle.

Marshall wasn't speeding but road conditions being less than optimal, the brakes locked up and the SUV spun out of control. Mary gasped but was rendered motionless leaning halfway over the seat.

Marshall threw his arm up to grab her but continued to fight against the motion of the car. They slid to the edge of the road and down a steep embankment. The world was eerily silent until metal collided with wood. The passenger side of the Expedition slammed into a huge pine tree. The mind works in mysterious ways because through the chaos Marshall gave a passing thought to if it was a red pine or a western white pine.

Snow fell from the branches, coating the windows and blocking out what little light remained. Marshall sat stunned for a moment before throwing his seat belt off and turning toward Mary.

"Mary?" He didn't recognize the sound of his own voice. "Are you all right?"

Mary groaned in response then slowly turned her head to look at him. "I would have shared whatever food I found back here, you didn't have to try to kill me." Her lips quirked up at the corners and he laughed nervously in relief.

"Let me help you down from there." He reached up to help her out of the space, now compressed slightly smaller than before. When he brushed up against her side she hissed. Marshall pulled his hands away. "What is it?" She could hear the concern in his voice.

"Ribs. Just got banged up when we came to that sudden stop." Marshall reached to help her, more cautiously this time. She braced herself against the drivers seat as she stretched to find purchase with her feet.

Marshall put his hand flat on her head to keep her from hitting the ceiling. She grimaced as she turned and slumped into the seat, cradling her left arm to her chest. She leaned against the headrest and waited for her heart to stop pounding. She could feel Marshall watching her with concern. "Are you in one piece?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"I'm fine," he said quietly, still studying her. He gently touched her elbow. "What's this?" He asked.

She opened one eye and looked at him. "I think I broke my damn wrist on the door."

"Let me see." She slowly stretched her arm toward him, trusting him implicitly not to hurt her. He pushed her sleeve up slightly. He winced as he saw how it was already swelling. It started with her fingers and travelled up her arm. "Are your ribs broken or bruised?" He was watching as she struggled to even out her breathing.

"I don't know, why?"

"Bruised ribs hurt," he responded. "But you should be okay to move around a little. But if they're broken you need to stay still, you could do more damage moving around."

"I'll be fine," she said stoically. "The real question is how are we going to get out of here? No cell service, we're not visible from the road and we're miles from where we're supposed to be if Stan starts looking for us."

"We'll figure something out. I'm going to check the trunk, see if there's a first aid kit." Mary nodded.

Marshall reached over and brushed Mary's hair out of her face. "I'm sorry Mer."

She shook her head and smiled wanly. "It was an accident, it's not your fault."

"Okay, you sit tight, I'll be right back." Marshall opened the door and was surprised to find the snow was deeper than he would have thought. It was almost up to his knees and still falling steadily. He swung the back door open and was rewarded. There was a small emergency kit with an ace wrap, some aspirin and a chemical ice pack along with a few bottles of water and a fleece travel blanket. He grabbed everything before returning to his seat.

He attempted to kick the snow off of his pants and boots before he sat down but still managed to bring a fair amount into the truck with him. "It's going to be fun when that melts," he muttered to himself. Mary was watching him quietly. She moved as if to help him but he waved her off. Her injured arm was closest and he didn't want her to aggravate her ribs by reaching across herself either.

"I'm not an invalid you know," she said crossly.

"That is abundantly clear," he said sardonically. "Sometimes you scare the witnesses, sometimes you scare me. Now, give me your hand."

She held her hand out to him tentatively and he wrapped her wrist firmly but as gently as he could. He could feel the tension in her body as he finished. "Here," he handed her a couple of aspirin and one of the water bottles. "Take this, then if you're hungry I'll dig around and see what I can come up with."

"No, I'm not hungry anymore." He saw her shiver. "I think I'm going to just close my eyes for a few minutes." He knew she was getting shocky. Mary almost never turned down food and she was far too pale.

"Put the seat back, you'll be more comfortable and then I found a blanket in the back. I'll help you put some more layers on when you wake up."

Mary nodded wearily. She winced as the movement of the seat jarred her ribs. Marshall tucked the blanket around her shoulders and she almost immediately found that she couldn't keep her eyes open.

"Wake me if anything happens," she mumbled as she faded away.


	2. Chapter 2

***

Mary woke with a start. It was pitch black and freezing in the SUV. Marshall was sleeping quietly beside her. She could just barely make out his shape. He had his arms crossed protectively over his chest and his hands were tucked into his armpits for warmth. He looked as cold as she felt. She felt around with her right arm and realized that his suit jacket and his long coat were draped over her torso.

Her arm throbbed, her head ached, and her breathing felt a little bit labored but her biggest complaint by far was the temperature. "Marshall," she whispered.

"What?" He sat up, alert immediately. "What's wrong?" She watched as the outline she could see looked around in the dark, momentarily disoriented. "Hey," he leaned toward her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Marshall, it's just cold in here and you have to be freezing." Marshall reached over and turned on the dash light.

"Mary," he said with surprise. "Your lips are blue." He reached over and gently touched her bottom lip with his thumb. Then he rubbed her shoulders briskly through the jackets and blankets. Mary could see goosebumps where his shirt cuffs rode up slightly. "Hang on, let me make sure there is no snow covering the exhaust and then I'll turn the heat on."

"Wait," she lifted her head as he reached for the door handle. "Take your coat. I don't want to hear it when you get pneumonia." She hid her concern for him beneath the prickly statement.

"You don't get sick from being cold," Marshall started but took the coat back when she glared.

He opened the door and a few swirling flakes snuck in. Mary shivered again.

Marshall was back quickly. He rubbed his hands together and slipped his arms out of his coat.

"Don't," Mary shook her head. "It's too cold."

"You'll be warm in just a few minutes." He didn't argue with her about the coat. The car started without complaint and Marshall turned the heat on high. "After you fell asleep I hiked up to the road. I still couldn't get a cell signal and we're really out in the middle of nowhere here. I'm sure there is normally a fair amount of traffic but until the snow stops and the road is clear," he trailed off apologetically.

"We're stuck here."

"I think so. We've got half a tank of gas so we can run the heat when we need to. How are you feeling for real?" The concern in his voice was audible.

"I'm starting to thaw out."

"That's something at least." She closed her eyes and let the warm air from the vent blow in her face. He waited until the car was sinfully warm before he turned the engine off.

When he could feel his fingers again he reached over and touched her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him silently. "Now that you're warm tell me how you really feel."

"I feel like I was in a car wreck, what do you want me to say?"

"Are you having trouble breathing?" He ignored her irritation.

"It's painful but I'll be fine." The admission of pain worried Marshall. He knew that Mary's philosophy was to deny all weakness.

"I want to look at your ribs."

"What? No," she shook her head and then winced at the movement.

"Listen, don't fight me on this okay? I let you have your way about everything else." He stopped at her look. "What?"

"Fine," she relented. "Just hurry up."

Marshall moved quickly but gently. He pulled the jacket and blanket back and then lifted Mary's sweater. He clenched his jaw when he saw the extensive discoloration on her torso. He knew she hurt more than she was letting on. He palpated her ribs gently and he saw her clench her fist and work not to pull away. Marshall could feel several obvious fractures even with his limited medical knowledge. Mary was pale and there was a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead despite the temperature outside.

Satisfied that he had seen the worst of the damage he covered her up and waited while she composed herself.

"When it gets light out I'm going to leave you here and go for help."

"What?" Mary sat up a little straighter so she could see Marshall's face better. "You're not going out there alone and you're not leaving me here alone either. We're partners, we need to stick together."

"That's not logical. No one is ever going to be able to see us from here and you're in no shape to be wandering out in a blizzard. I'm not sure how serious those rib fractures are but being out there is not going to help. You can stay reasonably warm in here and I can find help and we'll get out of here."

Mary set her jaw. "I won't slow you down."

"Maybe not but you'll likely kill yourself to do it. Listen, I don't want to leave you here any more than I want to be out there by myself but it's the only thing that makes sense."

Mary turned and looked out the window. The snow was still falling heavily. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said softly. "If you don't come back," she trailed off.

Marshall touched her cheek with a finger and she turned to look at him. "I will come back for you," he said somberly. Mary's look lingered and she nodded slowly, she knew that Marshall was right but she was still uncomfortable with the situation.

They slept until sunlight reflected against the snow. The snow slowed but didn't stop. She insisted that Marshall take both his coats with him even though he tried to leave his wool coat behind for her.

"Go if you're going," she finally said. "Just be careful out there. Don't get run over by the snow plow." Marshall grinned and opened the door.

It was colder than he expected, even though the sun was shining. He found that he was wrong about the plow. He waded along the highway, shielding his eyes from the sun. He had been walking for thirty minutes when he saw the small wood cabin through through the trees.

He felt a surge of elation as he plowed toward the building. His first knock went unanswered and he knocked again impatiently. Where could the homeowner possibly be during a storm of this magnitude. He looked in the windows and realized with disappointment that the house wasn't a residential property but most likely a hunting cabin.

There was a padlock on the outside of the door. Marshall only hesitated for a minute before he put his shoulder to it. He bent down to get as much leverage against the lock as possible. He had to ram it three times but the metal tongue pulled away from the wood with a groan.

Marshall walked inside and surveyed his surroundings. It was rudimentary at best. There was a rusty bed frame and a sagging mattress that had seen better days. He looked farther and found a few cans in the cupboard. Baked beans and Spam. Not exactly his idea of gourmet fare but his stomach growled at that moment and he remembered how long it had been since he'd eaten.

There was a wood burning stove in the corner. He remembered seeing a small stack of wood on the porch outside. At least they could get warm. Mary would be more comfortable here than stuck in the car. He was concerned about her walking that distance through the snow but he didn't have a better idea. He checked the flue on the stove and loaded it with wood.

He hurried back to the car. His heart nearly stopped when he saw how she was sprawled haphazardly against the passenger side window. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding when she blinked sleepily at him as he slid into the driver's seat. The car was cool but warmer than outside. At least she wasn't frozen.

"How do you feel?" He didn't waste time with pleasantries. He was worried.

"Tired."

"You should eat something," he turned and dug through his bag and pulled out a chocolate bar.

"I'm really not hungry."

"I know but I found a cabin. It's about a thirty minute walk through the snow. The sugar will give you a little boost."

"No plows?"

"Not yet. And I'd rather not spend another night in the car. There's a stove with a fire just waiting to be lit and a bed that, well it leaves something to be desired but it's still better than the car."

She was lethargic and her respirations were shallow. He was worried about pneumonia but there wasn't much he could do about it other than getting her warm and keeping her comfortable. She nibbled reluctantly at the chocolate and drank a few swallows of water that Marshall insistently held to her lips.

He waded to her side of the car and tamped down the snow so she could get out easier. She took the arm he offered her with her right hand and slid down the seat. The cold made her cough reflexively. Marshall stepped closer and held her on her feet while she gasped and fought for breath. He could see the pain on her face and he tried not to add to it by grabbing her in the wrong place. When it seemed like she couldn't go on any longer the spasms finally eased and she slumped wearily against Marshall's chest. He rubbed her back gently and laid his cheek against her hair. He waited until she pulled her head away to speak.

"Are you ready? We need to get you out of the cold." She nodded wordlessly, cheeks pink from the exertion of coughing. She didn't try to pull away from him when he wrapped his arm around her waist and anchored his hand on her hip.

He observed how awkwardly she held her left arm against her chest. The going was painfully slow but she gamely put one foot after the other. The walk that had taken Marshall thirty minutes took the two of them an hour. Mary was panting and her skin was a sickly gray. She was cold and clammy and the first thing Marshall did was strip her down to her underwear and put her under the covers on the questionably clean bed. He lit he stove and watched it for a few minutes to make sure the smoke was going up the chimney and the wood was fully engulfed with flames before he shucked his clothes and climbed in beside her.

Her eyes were closed but she was too tense to be asleep. He tangled his legs with hers and rubbed at her cold skin softly. She shivered with fine tremors that ran the length of her body. Gradually the room and Mary's skin started to warm.

She opened her eyes and looked at him miserably. "Remind me again why we couldn't fly to North Dakota?" Marshall snorted in relief at her quip.

"I think I asked that same question and you gave me a reasonable but annoying answer. You're warm now, sleep." He laid beside her until he was sure she was both warm and sleeping soundly before he crawled out from between the covers. The small cabin was comfortably warm but the wood wouldn't last indefinitely. He had to come up with a better plan. He picked up their wet, discarded clothes and spread them out to dry. He looked out the window. The snow had finally stopped. But the sky was overcast and he was worried that it would begin again.

He opened a can of beans and heated them over the stove. The smell permeated the cabin and he salivated as he watched them start to bubble. He sat in the only chair and ate them out of the can. He watched Mary worriedly. She started becoming restless as he finished eating and by the time he walked over to her she had kicked off the blankets. He reached out and touched her forehead. She was burning up. That was his worst fear realized. He could deal with the cold, hunger, and discomfort but he knew she was at risk for pneumonia related to her broken ribs. She simply wasn't breathing deep enough. He brushed her hair back. She didn't wake but continued to toss and turn. He went through the pocket of his jacket and then hers. He had given her the last of the aspirin earlier in the day and there was nothing else.

He discovered the water to the cabin was off when he tried the sink so he scooped some snow from the porch into the can from the beans. He washed it out as well as he could and then started melting snow. When the water was lukewarm he wet a cloth he found and wiped Mary's face down with it. He folded it and lay it on her forehead. Then he straightened the covers and pulled the sheet back over her.

He looked around the room and found a discarded copy of Lonesome Dove. He sat by her and pretended to read but he spent most of the time watching Mary apprehensively.

He checked the stove and added two more logs to the fire. He pulled his now dry coat on and wandered outside. He found an old dead pine and was able to pull several large branches off. The snow fell from them and they seemed fairly dry, if too big to go in the stove the way they were. He wrestled them up to the porch before stomping the snow off his feet and going inside to check on Mary. Guilt ran through him as he stood in the doorway watching her. This was all his fault and if she wasn't okay he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He stepped closer and leaned over to check her temperature when he realized that she was awake and watching him.

"Where did you go?" Her voice was husky.

"Outside to look for some firewood. How do you feel?"

"When I woke up I was sweating like an elephant. I feel a little better now."

"Elephants don't sweat," Marshall corrected absently as he put his hand on her forehead. She squirmed, trying to get away. "Stop that," he said mildly. "Your fever broke, that's good. Have you been coughing?"

"A little," Mary admitted reluctantly. She looked in his eyes. "Tell me what you're thinking doofus."

He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I was just thinking that this is a really crappy situation I got us into."

"Nuh-uh, don't start any of that self pity crap with me. We got in this mess together and we'll get out of it together." She lowered her voice a notch. "Don't look so freaked out Marshall. It worries me." She reached out for his arm and he reached toward her obligingly. She turned his wrist and looked at his watch. "Jesus, eight thirty. Why did you let me sleep so long? We could have been figuring out how to get out of this crap hole. Now, I know this place doesn't have a bathroom. I've gotta take a pee in this crap snowstorm.I'll hang my ass over the porch but that's as far as I'm going."

Marshall laughed but it sounded forced. He appreciated Mary's effort to ease his guilt but if he hadn't gotten lost this would have never happened. He again saw the pain she tried to hide.

"In the morning I'm going to find help."

"I thought you tried that this morning," she panted, out of breath.

"I was thinking about it while you were asleep this afternoon. I think we passed a town five or ten miles before the accident. It wasn't much of a town, blink and you miss it but it it was there."

She just looked at him. She didn't have to say anything, he knew what she was thinking. "Well do you have a plan then?" He asked. "Because I'm not sure when hunting season starts but I'd rather not still be here when it does."

"I may not have a plan but I'm sure I hate your idea," she muttered as she let herself out the door.

The coughing fit she had when Marshall half carried her back into the cabin seven minutes later sealed Marshall's decision regardless of Mary's opinion.

She needed medical treatment and he had no intention of sitting around watching her suffer while waiting for the snow to melt. He refused to argue with her about it so he let her believe she'd won. They laid down at ten thirty and he kissed her cheek and silently asked to hold her. She slid into his arms and fell asleep almost instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

When she woke up nine hours later Marshall was nowhere to be found. she assumed that he'd gone to find fire wood again or to heed the call of nature. She felt rough. Her head hurt, her throat hurt, and her arm ached. She was fairly certain that the bones weren't aligned properly, not that she'd ever tell Marshall that and add to his guilt trip. Her lungs felt like she was trying to breathe under water. She coughed, which sounded like more of a hack. When she was too annoyed to wait any more she carefully slid out of bed. Her bare feet hit the cold floor and she flinched. She hated cold feet. She walked toward the stove when a piece of paper caught her eye. It was lying very deliberately on the seat of the chair. She saw that Marshall's very precise printing covered it and noticed that it was the title page from the book Marshall was reading yesterday. She sat down to read it.

Mary - I went for help. Don't be angry. Fine, be angry but know that I had to do this. If you weren't hurt we could wait, or we could go together. But doing nothing is not an option and you weren't going to be happy no matter what I did. I didn't want the last thing I heard you say to be angry. Look, I know everything is going to be fine. They'll give you some antibiotics and set your wrist and you'll be as good as new. I'll bitch and moan about my cold fingers and blisters and in a year we'll have forgotten that it ever happened. I want you to know I'm not leaving you. I will never leave you. You're my heart. I love you unconditionally. You deserve that Mer. You need to know, just in case.

I love you, Marshall

At first Mary didn't notice the tears that were streaming down her face. Finally she wiped them away. "Sentimental idiot," she mumbled to herself. She forgot that she needed to pee and slid back into the bed, obviously favoring her arm and her side since Marshall wasn't there to look so damned worried.

Mary laid there, her brain going ninety miles an hour. She clutched the letter tightly. I didn't know, why on earth didn't I know? She asked herself.

She closed her eyes and watched a mental movie of her partnership with Marshall. He'd been in the office for a year before Mary was transferred to WitSec and assigned to work with him. She had gone through four partners in three years. She was burnt out on paperwork and bureaucracy. She hadn't ever been a rule follower. Marshall was the law with a capital L. He'd never broken a rule in his life, and he would still be able to say that if Mary hadn't asked for a favor one hot August day when her sister was in trouble and Mary was out of options.

He could always make her laugh and didn't even blink when she was pissed off and on a rampage. He always knew when she needed a hug, which wasn't often but when she did he was there and didn't try to cop a feel. In fact, he was always there when she needed him.

She wasn't sure if that was love but it was closer than anything she'd ever felt before. She wondered if it was possible that she just didn't know what love looked like because she'd seen so few examples of it in her life. She reluctantly laid the letter down beside her and closed her eyes.

***

Marshall was not having a good time. I-25 was still a snow covered mess without a snowplow or car in sight. He slogged down the side of the road. His pants were soggy, his boots were soggy, his socks were soggy. He lost feeling in his pinkie finger forty five minutes ago and he couldn't help wondering what Mary would do with the information in the note he left her. He kept moving. The only way he was going to make it was to keep moving. He'd been walking for five hours. He wasn't sure how far he'd walked but he knew that if he didn't find shelter soon it was going to get dark and he'd never survive a night in the elements. He thought he saw a light ahead but he wasn't sure if it was really there or just a reflection off the snow. He moved faster but the light didn't appear to get any closer. His only option was to plod along.

Finally, when he was certain that he couldn't take one more step, nine hours after he started he stumbled onto the porch of a small house. The light was on and he pounded loudly on the door. A small woman looked surprised to see Marshall, wet up to the knees and shivering, standing on her front steps. She stepped back to let him in when he collapsed at her feet.

Two hours, three police cars, and one ambulance ride later Marshall was lying on a gurney in the local emergency room. He hadn't regained consciousness. The nurse had started two large bore IV's and they were slowly re-warming him with heated saline. He was buried under a mound of blankets from the warmer. His fingers and toes had stage two frostbite. They were pale and cold and they would blister and be painful beyond anything Marshall had ever experienced when he woke, but barring any complications he would get to keep them.

Six hours later a bed opened up on a med/surg floor and they moved him upstairs, listed as a John Doe. No identification had been found with him.

When he started to rouse four hours after that he was screaming in pain and he received a dose of morphine large enough to sedate a small elephant. He woke in three hours calling for Mary. The nurse asked who Mary was along with his name but he was incoherent. She gave him more pain medication and he fell asleep again.

The doctors were stymied after forty-eight hours. The patient showed no sign of head trauma and he didn't appear to be a vagrant. He should be lucid. Someone should be looking for him. Perhaps the woman he kept calling for had the answer but they didn't have a means of locating her. They ordered all medication to be held. They needed to know if his confusion was drug related or if there was something neurological going on.

***

Mary waited in the cabin. She grew more anxious by the hour. When Marshall didn't come back by the first evening she was pissed at him for worrying her. By the following morning she cried. By that evening her fever was back and her brain was too fuzzy to worry much.

She had vivid nightmares that night and woke unsettled. She knew something bad had happened to Marshall or he would have come back. She looked over at the note, lying close to her on the pillow. He promised that he wouldn't leave her and Marshall was nothing if not unfailingly honest.

Something beyond his control was keeping him and she was terrified by the possibilities. She drug herself to the stove to throw more wood in. The pile was dwindling. She still wasn't hungry but she melted some snow for water. She couldn't get dehydrated. Marshall would be upset if she was dead when he made it back.

She couldn't let herself think that he might not come back.

***

Marshall groaned as the pain hit without the dulling effects of the drugs. He raised his bandaged hands to his face and struggled to focus on them. He looked around and suddenly the neurons fired. He knew where he was. He struggled to sit up. "Mary," his words were frantic. "You have to get to Mary,"

"Sir," the nurse was alarmed. "If you tell us who and where Mary is I'll make sure that someone lets her know where you are. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm US Marshal Marshall Mann. My identification should be in my left pants pocket."

"Sir, you didn't have any ID on you when you came in."

"It must have fallen out," Marshall mumbled. "Listen to me, my partner is in a hunting cabin off I-25. There was an accident and she's injured. You can't see the vehicle from the road but the cabin isn't far from the truck. I walked, I don't know how far I walked but I was heading south. You have to find her. And call our boss," he added as an afterthought, rattling Stan's contact information off rapidly.

"Mr. Mann," the nurse watched the monitors, growing alarmed at the increase in pulse and blood pressure. "I'll give this information to the county sheriff and I'm sure they'll start looking for your partner as soon as they can. But the weather man is calling this the blizzard of the decade and in Colorado that's saying something."

That was not what Marshall needed to hear. He reached for the phone but cried out in agony when he grabbed it. The nurse, having the information she needed gave Marshall some more pain medication. She watched as he fought against the effects of it but he soon lost and fell asleep again.

The nurse alerted everyone Marshall requested and started the ball rolling. In Albuquerque Stan McQueen was figuratively pulling his hair out because two of his finest agents had disappeared into thin air in a blizzard. No one had seen or heard from them. So, when the call came in that Marshall was in the hospital he relaxed infinitesimally, until he heard that Mary was still stranded in a hunting cabin, and no one knew where.

He pulled some strings and had the state troopers and the highway patrol out looking for her. He was even able to divert a couple of snow plows from their route to where Mary was thought to be. The result was that eight hours later a burly gentleman, a trucker in warmer weather, burst into the hunting cabin and found mary sprawled on the bed. She had her glock pointed in his face in under ten seconds and she made him explain himself before she would let him come any closer.

"Where is my partner?" She asked loudly.

"I don't know anything about a partner Mam, I just know that I am supposed to be looking for a Mary Shannon, stranded out here somewheres and you sure do fit the description I was given."

"Marshall Mann," Mary demanded again, "Tall, lanky, screwball."

"I'm sorry," he shrugged. "I don't know nothing about that but if you can walk I'll get you out to the truck and,"

"I'm not going anywhere until I find out where my partner is." Mary said obstinately.

"Ma'am," the trucker spoke patiently. "I was gonna say that I have a CB radio out in my truck. There's a man name's Stan something or other. He's raising hell all over this county looking for you. Maybe he knows where your partner is."

Those words placated Mary somewhat and she let the man fuss for a few minutes, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders but her glare stopped him in his tracks when he offered to carry her because she was looking a mite 'peaked.'

She started coughing when she stepped out the door and held onto her side but she made it to the truck and grabbed for the radio. The trucker adjusted the station and nodded at Mary.

"Stan, Stan, are you there?" She asked

"Mary," the staticky voice sounded relieved. "How are you doing? We've,"

"Stan, where's Marshall?" She cut him off.

"He's going to be fine. He's in the hospital. He's been frantic since he woke up, worrying about you."

Mary paled visibly. "What happened?"

"He has some frostbite. They're taking you to the same hospital so you'll see him soon."

Once they arrived at the hospital Mary was whisked into a room. She was poked and prodded and her chest and arm were x-rayed. They confirmed Marshall's diagnosis of pneumonia. They started an IV for antibiotics and sedation to set her wrist. Mary spent the whole time in the ER demanding to be taken to Marshall. The staff was focused on her condition though and ignored her request.

The last thing they did was set and cast her wrist before calling the floor for a room. Mary was still half sedated when she began demanding again to be taken to her partner.

The nurse was adamant that since she was being admitted she couldn't go wandering around the hospital and that male and female cohabitation in double occupancy rooms was strictly forbidden. So, Mary waited until the nurse left the room to escape. They may regret giving her the pain medication that allowed her to get up and move freely, she thought to herself.

She pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around herself toga style so she had some semblance of decency. She looked both ways before she stepped into the hall. Finding Marshall proved trickier than she expected. She roamed a few hallways peeking in windows before she found him and earned herself more than a few strange looks in the process.

"Marshall?" She entered the room and pulled the door and curtain shut behind her. He was sleeping. She winced at the sight of his bandaged hands. He twitched restlessly and she wondered if he was in pain.

"Mary," she took a step closer before she realized that he was talking in his sleep. "I've got to find Mary," he mumbled and her heart caught. She sat down gingerly on the bed and she reached out to stroke his jaw with her thumb.

"Marshall," she spoke quietly. "Hey buddy, I'm right here with you." He opened his eyes and she watched while he struggled to focus on her face.

"Mer?" He reached for her and she caught him by the elbow. "You okay?"

"Better than you by the look of it. Asshole," she paused. "Promise me you won't sneak off in the middle of the night again."

"I left a note," he protested weakly.

"Promise me or I'll kick your ass when you're well. Jesus Marshall." She shook her head. "Sleep. I'll be right here."

He nodded and his eyes drooped. Mary slid off the bed and dragged the chair close enough that she could hang onto his wrist. When the hospital staff found her an hour later they reminded her that she hadn't been discharged. They attempted to escort her back to the emergency room but she refused, almost politely.

Several quietly spoken threats later Stan McQueen had called in yet another favor and the reluctant hospital staff moved Mary into Marshall's room.

She was lying on her side facing him, head pillowed on her casted arm. She was clean, dry, warm, and she didn't hurt for the first time in days. He was sleeping quietly, and her thoughts turned back to the note Marshall left her.

She fell asleep but woke when she heard Marshall having a nightmare. She crawled into bed beside him and put her head on his chest. He calmed almost immediately. She laid there beside him until the nurse walked in and Mary dragged herself out of bed to find out what the hell was wrong with her partner. Nightmares were not part of Marshall's repertoire.

"It's the drugs," was the answer. "Some people have crazy dreams. Don't worry, we're weaning him onto oral medication. The Morphine will wear off in a few hours and he will be good as new."

Mary glared but didn't say anything. She crawled back into Marshall's bed, daring the nurse to say anything about it. They were left alone. Mary dozed on and off, waking with Marshall's movements.

His eyes finally opened and stayed focused. He looked down at her with surprise.

"You were dreaming." It wasn't a question.

"I was caught in this horrible loop." He pointedly looked at her hospital gown along with her IV. "Where are you supposed to be?"

She tilted her head toward the empty bed. "Are you kicking me out?"

"No, I just."

"You are just still freaking out. You feel guilty and fuzzy from the medicine and you're worried about this." She held up the note he had written.

His eyes dropped and he didn't quite meet her gaze. She lifted his head with her thumb and ducked so he couldn't avoid her. "I wish you had said something sooner."

"You weren't ready to hear it," he whispered. "I'm not sure you're ready to hear it now. I just," he was nervous, uncomfortable, unwilling to go where she wanted to go.

"I understand," she had spent too much time thinking about what he wrote to let it go now. He didn't want to be hurt but she didn't want to hurt him. "I may need to learn what love really is. I've had sex and boyfriends that I've run with but I can't say that I've ever loved any of them. And I'm sure that none of them would have walked seventeen miles through a blizzard to get help when I was injured. But you've stuck with me through everything. The bad days and my ugly temper," she faltered and this time he was the one who met and held her eyes. "Because you love me?" She asked and he smiled weakly.

"I can't believe you really have to ask." He didn't try to hide sudden tears.

"What is this?" Mary asked, alarmed as she wiped them away.

"I am so sorry for the child who had to fight so hard and never knew what it was like to just be loved."

She looked away for a moment but then she turned back. "Don't feel sorry for me," she whispered.

"You're too mean for anyone to feel sorry for you." He grinned to lighten the situation. She laughed and punched him on the shoulder.

"I don't know what to do."

"I'm not asking you to do anything."

"But what if I want to do something?" She asked.

"Do you?"

"I don't know, I'm afraid of ruining what we have. You are the most significant relationship I have ever had. I'm afraid to ruin that."

Marshall looked sad at her words. "All I can tell you," he said slowly. "Is that there are a lot of ways to ruin a relationship. But the only definite way I know is to never have one. The other thing I know with certainty is that you deserve to love and be loved in a way you can't even comprehend yet."

Mary buried her head on Marshall's chest. "Don't give up on me yet," she mumbled.

"Like I ever could." He kissed her on the temple and they both fell asleep.

__________________________________________________


	4. Chapter 4

Six months later it happened.

Things had gotten back to normal after the blizzard except Mary and Marshall were even closer than before. Mary watched Marshall when she thought he wasn't looking and she thought about his words. She stood closer to him than she needed to in the office and they spent more time together out of work but things stayed platonic. Marshall had put himself out there and now it was Mary's move to make and she was still hesitant. She saw him differently now, felt an attraction to him that woke her up at night and gave thought to having him permanently in her bed but she was afraid that she would ruin it.

It was another witness transport. Adam Krandall, one of Marshall's witnesses was going to a deposition and they were on security detail. They didn't know that DeNucci had been able to put a hit out on him from prison. A nondescript dark colored sedan pulled up next to him in the left lane. Marshall backed off to let the car pass but it stayed even with them. Mary was watching Marshall out of the corner of her eye when she saw the passenger in the car pull a gun.

Everything seemed to happen simultaneously. "Gun," she screamed, turning to push Krandall to the floor, fighting against the seatbelt. Marshall stomped on the brakes and the car skidded sideways across the road. Shots rang out, pinged harmlessly off the hood. Marshall took advantage of the skid and turned the vehicle so he was traveling the opposite way.

Backup was there five minutes after Mary hung her phone up and thirty minutes after that Krandall was transferred into the custody of a heavily armed multi-car escort. He would make it to his deposition and his trial.

Mary and Marshall were pulled from service. Marshall was on the phone with Stan. A local police woman was standing beside him, waiting to take his statement. Mary was standing by the car door. She looked down and realized that her hands were shaking. Her, the normally unflappable Mary Shannon and then she realized why. Life was too short, too unpredictable. She might ruin the relationship, but someone might gun one or both of them down tomorrow. She loved Marshall. She only hoped that she hadn't waited too long.

"Marshall," her voice was sharp and he looked up, startled. "We need to go."

He looked concerned but nodded. He broke off from what he was saying and dug in his pocket to hand the police woman his card. He hurried to Mary's side. "What's wrong?" He looked at her and if he noticed her hands he didn't say anything. She grabbed him by the elbow, a habit she picked up after his hands were hurt.

"Let's get out of here."

"Okay," he watched her climb back into the truck and he walked around to the driver's side. Neither of them said anything until Mary waved him into the parking lot of a Best Western. He pulled over and shut off the engine.

He watched as she went inside and then motioned to him with a plastic card key in one hand. He followed her into the room, still confused. Mary launched herself into Marshall's arms as he pulled the door closed.

"I love you," she clung to him and her voice broke. "I don't want to lose you."

He held her and rested his cheek against her hair. "You couldn't lose me if you tried," he finally spoke. "I'm here with you Mer." He pulled away so he could look at her. "But I will never leave you. Even if I'm gone I will be with you. I don't want to prevent the hurt of loss by denying myself the joy of being in love."

Mary crushed herself against his chest. "You're right," she mumbled.

"You just have to be open to the possibility of something greater."

"I think we are that something greater." The tension that she had been carrying around for the last six months, wondering what to do about him, dissolved in an instant.

"So do I Mer, so do I."


End file.
